Japanese Women’s Dress Shoes (Not Suitable for Baseball)

My friend Karen wants to be a shoe designer when she grows up (she’s 30).

After ladies’ Bible study at Tully’s this morning, we decided to go for a walk and look at the different shops together. I was looking for a pair of sturdy leather clogs that I can slip off and on quickly, as we’re constantly removing shoes here in Japan.

At the shoe store, next to the clogs (which were light-colored canvas with lots of flowers and embellishments — a bit fancy for everyday wear) was a row of dress shoes.

My eye caught a really classy looking pair of black pumps with wingtips. They were strong looking, yet feminine. The leather was supple, and the heel was a nice wide square inch.

I loved them, and I never drool over shoes.

(Laugh if you want, but I only have a few pairs of shoes – my neoprene Bog boots, my chunky, open toed brown shoes I’ve had since I was 15, a pair of sneakers (eight years old), a pair of black Doc Martins that go up to my knees, and a strappy black pair of satin shoes I bought to wear in a wedding. )

Karen, said, “I think they’d fit you — how about you try them on?”

Sure enough, they had 24’s, my Japanese size (about a US 7/7.5).

At the time, I was wearing my sneakers and thick socks. Back home, there is usually a box of little disposable nylon sockies nearby to keep the shoes fresh and to also get a feel for what the shoe would be like if wearing a thin sock.

Karen asked if they had a some socks to use for trying on the shoes.

The salesman came back with a large shoe box filled with all sorts of socks. He handed me a fuzzy black pair with white and red stitching. I pointed to the dress shoes and he said, “ah!” and handed me a pair of nylon knee-highs. I had to chuckle. They were not disposable, and looked quite used.

So, as not to be that person who snagged the community nylons, I carefully rolled them onto my feet and legs, trying to keep a straight face.

I went to unbuckle the shoe to try it on, but found a snap instead! Karen said that many of the shoes here are designed with faux buckles with snaps underneath so that women can quickly take off their shoes. The snap fastened solidly.

The shoes fit perfectly! I have a higher arch in my feet, and to have shoes line up with them in support is so rare.

The right shoe was a little snug on the strap, but it would have broken in quickly. However, Karen pointed out that the buckles on this particular shoes could be adjusted! She took a shoe and moved the buckle to the next notch.

The fit was even better!

And so, I have a new pair of shoes! (Now… if only I had a place to wear them…)

When I took the shoes out of the box at home, I noticed these great pictorial instructions on the back for the proper use of shoes. If you forget all else, remember this : Baseball players wear cleats, not heels!